


There Can Be Only One

by scifisentai



Category: Gosei Sentai Dairanger
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-10 04:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15942080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scifisentai/pseuds/scifisentai
Summary: A slightly different take on episode 25, because I love me some evil twins and couldn't leave the potential for angst alone.





	There Can Be Only One

Shoji felt something in his stomach lighten as Kazu came running around the corner towards them, the yellow suit of the Kirinranger gleaming in the sun.

"Oi, Kazu!" he yelled, sparing a moment from the battle to wave at him. "'Bout time, you're late." He paused, ducked a blow from a fake Shishiranger, and gave a Kazu a worried look, not the guy would see it under his helmet. "You're the real one, right?"

"Of course."

He grinned at the offended note in Kazu's voice, relieved to have him back. "Good to have ya back." He didn't think anything more of it, too busy with a fake Tenmaranger whose ass he was gonna kick so hard for trying to copy him. He staggered forward right into the fake's arms and got a blow to the head in response. Shaking his head to clear it he found Kazu standing behind him, unfortified even as the battle went on around them, and... smiling. "Kazu?"

Kazu smile widened a little, then he lashed out, seeming not to care that Shoji was still fortified, his attacks as fast and precise as ever. _The fake?_ he wondered, dodging out of the way. He was no Master Kaku, to be able to tell the difference in fighting styles and this Kazu had _said_ he was the real one but then, the fake _would_ say that, wouldn't he? And he'd fallen for it again, idiot that he was. A blow to his shoulders was enough to break his fortification and he sagged to his knees, feeling the gravel under them as he struggled to lift his head.

"I thought you were the real one," he groaned. "But you're not."

"Oh, but I am now." That smile was annoying on Kazu sometimes but on the fake? It pissed him right the hell off and he lunged forward, grabbing for the imposter's legs. If he could get him off balance... "None of that, _Shoji_." The sound of his name coming out of the damn fake's mouth pissed him off almost as much as the smile and once he was back on his feet was gonna pound the fake into the ground. "You'll just have to live with me. For now anyway." Fake-Kazu reached out to pat his cheek insultingly. "I'm the only Kazu left."

"Liar!" he spat, jerking his head away from the touch.

"Not this time. The one who called himself Kazu before is dead. All you have now is me."

Blood roared in Shoji's ears, blocking out the sound of battle aroud him and he felt as if he'd just been sucker-punched right in the gut.

"Liar," he said again, but even to himself he didn't sound so sure. "You're a damn liar. Kazu ain't dead." He wasn't. He couldn't be. He just... he couldn't be, Shoji refused to believe it.

"Oh, really?" Fake-Kazu pulled a photo out of his waistcoat and, with a flick of his fingers that was all Kazu, he tossed the photo to the ground in front of Shoji. His own fingers shook as he picked it up, only to nearly drop it again as he got a good look at it. It was Kazu, sprawled lifelessly on the floor in what looked like an abandoned warehouse.

"No," he whispered, fingers tightening their grip on the photo. "It's not true."

"It's true," fake-Kazu said, shifting his weight before giving Shoji a solid kick in the chest, sending him tumbling onto his back. "I choked the life out of him with my own hands," he continued, leaning casually over him and holding up his hands, wiggling his fingers as he smirked down at him.

Finding the energy somehow, Shoji kicked him off and got back to his feet, launching forward to tackle the impostor. Much to his dismay, however, he found he couldn't follow it through with another attack as he'd planned to. His fist flew true but stopped right before it could connect. With a yell he tried again, only to fail once more. It was Kazu's face, that was the problem, and even knowing it was a fake, even knowing he'd killed the real Kazu, Shoji couldn't bring himself to land the hit.

"Having a bit of trouble are we?" Fake-Kazu smirked at him again and this time, _this time_ he would do it, he would. He'd get revenge for Kazu and then...

"Shoji!"

Arms pulled him back and suddenly Ryou was standing in between them, his hands fisted in fake-Kazu's waistcoat. The battle had to be over. "Where's Kazu?" Ryou was demanding. "What did you do to him?"

The impostor nodded in Shoji's direction. "Ask him. I don't see why I should repeat myself."

"Shoji?" The voice was Rin's and he felt his face crumple, the worry in it more than he could take in the face of the truth.

"He killed Kazu," he whispered, hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Kazu's dead."

"But you still have me," the fake pointed out, as jaunty as Kazu ever was. "So there's really not much to get upset over, is there?"

Ryou did what he couldn't and punched the fake right in his face. It wasn't as satisfying as he would have thought. "Where is he?" Ryou demanded again, shaking him. "Where did you leave him?"

The fake looked at him for a moment, then shrugged. "He's back that way," he said, jerking his head in the direction he'd come from. "For all the good it will do you."

Ryou let go and he dropped to the ground. Shoji looked around for the photo he'd dropped at some point, picked it up again and ripped it shreds, letting them fall over the imposter's face.

They found the place easily enough but it looked like a warren with all its twists and turns and Kazu was nowhere to be found.

"Damn Gorma," he said softly. "They couldn't even leave his body alone." What had they done with him? Wasn't killing him enough?

Rin looked like she was about to cry and Ryou and Daigo shared identical grim expressions.

"We'll find him," Ryou told him, sounding as grim as he looked. "No matter what they've done with him, we'll find him."

"Find who?" came a familiar voice from behind them and Shoji spun. Fake-Kazu was behind them, leaning against the door with a grin on his face. He'd followed them here, the bastard.

He barrelled over, grabbing fake-Kazu's waistcoat and slamming him back into the door. "Are you here to rub it in?" he yelled and the imposter winced. "Huh? Are you?"

"Shoji, could you-"

"Don't use my name, damn you," he retorted. "What did you do with Kazu? No lies this time. _Where is he?,_ "

"Shoji."

He went still at the sound of _that_ voice, looking over his shoulder at their mentor, Master Kaku.

"Master," he breathed, looking between the older man and Kazu.

"That's really Kazu," Master Kaku said, patting him on the shoulder and he hurriedly let go, only to reach out again as Kazu sagged.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, dusting off the waistcoat. "Thought you were the fake. Should've known he was lying about killing you, though. No way that could happen, after all."

Kazu smiled faintly. "He did. If it wasn't for Master Kaku I would still be dead." He bowed in their teacher's direction. "I shall not be so careless again, Master."

"The Gorma is still out there," their mentor replied. "You need to stop her before her copies can wreak more havoc."

Kazu nodded, as did the rest of them. They had work to do still, dealing with everything else could wait.


End file.
